It is known to mount Christmas tree on a stand assembly having an electric motor and an appropriate drive mechanism for rotating the tree about a vertical axis to improve the aesthetic appearance of the tree. Such strands are rather complicated in construction and relatively expensive to manufacture. Moreover, adequate clearance must be provided between the tree and adjacent walls or furniture to avoid hitting the longest limbs of the tree. In addition, care must be taken to ensure that small children and pets do not grab the limbs of the rotating tree. Examples of such tree stand assemblies are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,943,659 and 2,587,788.
The prior art also includes Christmas tree vibrators powered by standard household current. These vibrators typically include an electric motor secured to the trunk of the tree and an eccentric weight mounted on the rotating output shaft of the motor. The rotation of the eccentric weight imparts vibratory forces on the Christmas tree giving it a swaying appearance. A drawback of this type of tree vibrator is that it requires the use of household current, which could produce an electrical shock or a fire-igniting spark if a defect exists in the motor or electric cord. Also, the Christmas tree must be located close to an electrical outlet, which may not always be conveniently available.
To overcome the above-discussed drawbacks of known tree vibrators and rotating tree stands, the present invention provides a battery-powered Christmas tree vibrator, which includes a novel power control circuit to intermittently energize an electric motor, thereby drastically reducing the electrical power needed to rotate an eccentric weight assembly. As a result, the batteries are capable of powering the tree vibrator for extended periods of time before they must be replaced. By utilizing the battery powered tree vibrator of the present invention, a shimmering motion is imparted to the branches of the tree to greatly enhance the appearance of the tree and to cause the tinsel and ornaments on the tree to reflect the room or natural light, thus eliminating the need for Christmas tree lights. As a consequence, household current is not required to power the Christmas tree lights, thereby reducing the danger of a fire accidentally being caused by the heat produced by the Christmas tree lights.